Curious Occurrences at the Perk

Well, it's awesomely bad love song day here at the Perk.  

By Perk I mean my favorite coffee shop nestled in the Gainesville Square: Inman Perk.  

P.S. Linger by the Cranberries just came on.  

Not awesomely bad.  

Just awesome.  

A series of curious events occurred today in relation to my beloved café.

1.  Heading back from Speech Class today with my biffle roomie Amber, out of the blue I looked at her and asked, "Do you want to sit and do homework at Inman?"  

Her eyes bulged as she said "Oh my gosh, yes!"  

2. Our favorite cookie at Inman is the black and white, or as I fondly call it, zebra cookie.  

Whenever I come to Inman with Amber I look like such a cool jo who is always there.  

Not true.   

But when we ran to the cookie display case, the lovely owner smirked at me and said 

"Black and white cookie?"

Seriously, if you averaged the number of times I come here, it would end up only being once a week. 

Amber stood agog.

3. When I ordered my favorite Chai Latte, the sweet barrista looked over the counter and said, "Don't worry, I'm making it with extra crumblies at the bottom, just like you like."

Amber again raised the old eyebrow.

4. I lost my "Best Bag" sometime in the last month which made me very sad.  I thought it would turn up in my closet.  

False.  

It turned up hanging from the shoulder of another customer purchasing her coffee.  

I was frozen.  

I couldn't say, "Hey, that's my custom made with love bag from my practically mother in law!"  

Because she obviously just found it.  

And its hers now.  

Very sad.  

I've been sitting here trying to catch a creeper photo for this post, but I couldn't manage it.

Life if really funny sometimes.

Oh yes, one more curious event:

5. Gracing the walls of Inman Perk are often different murals by local artist Sam Roper.   

But when I walked in I gasped as I saw this little addition that was obviously made by somebody new:

A NIGHT FURY!

If you have not watched How To Train Your Dragon, get away from your computer and rent it now.  

I know the trailers looked dumb, just ignore them.

That movie will touch your heart and make you cackle like a hyena.  

And that's all I've got to say about that.  

Terrain: Twinkle Lights

                                  

I love the repetitive detail on these light fixtures.  

Hundreds of pin holes make these hand-crafted lamps from Terrain look uniquely gorgeous both when lit and unlit.   

Filigree Sphere

Pint Dot Sphere

Date with myself

I had such a wonderful, relaxing weekend with Cam.  

When I pulled back into Alpha Gamm, though, I felt a weight.

As bubbly as I am, I am an introvert, and this past two months God has been working wonders in my life.   

I knew that he had called me to lead in a big way this semester, but I suppose I'd imagined rounding up girls for massive bible studies or events or something.  I don't know...something vaguely crowded.

I have found that instead, he has called me to do something more filling and more difficult.

He has me talk to everyone.

I mean people in the elevator, elderly couples at the dermatologist and my sisters.  

I have not had any alone time, which is very critical for my non-depressionness.  

But, God has filled me with so much light and has just spoken through me to everyone.  

And when assignments weren't accomplished on time, due dates were miraculously pushed back by professors.  

So, I feel as if I've been floating.

But when I got home Sunday night, I discovered an unoccupied hour and a half that I had all to myself.  

And so I took myself on a date.

I went to our Mellow Mushroom, which in Gainesville is so quirky and classy, and asked for a table for one.

I was immediately led to a tiny table out on the porch--so perfect.

I spent a blissful ninety minutes slowly munching on my pesto chicken pizza, sipping on my arnold palmer and being greeted by Carrots the pizza cat.  

Oh...and I sketched. 

I was so very quietly content.  

That's so hipster

 

In preparation for the nearly three hour entrenchment we were going to be making in front of Sahil's ten-foot movie theatre screen viewing Gladiator, we stopped by Octane.  Octane is a trendy coffee shop in which we were able to give ample examples of "hipster" to a playfully clueless Sahil.  

The phrase of the night became "That's so hipster."  

Sahil definitely abused the label and applied it to completely nonsensical things.

I got a Chai Latte, to compare it to mine made at my favorite coffee shop back home.  

Some are sweeter, some are spicier.  

This one was spicier.

Cypress Street Pint & Plate

Saturday night we went to Cypress Street Pint & Plate.
I had a delicious veggie burger and sweet potato fries, but the event of the evening was what our friends picked:
The Sublime Burger.
The Sublime Burger is a burger patty smushed in between two doughnuts.
Yes, doughnuts.
Italians have a phrase for this habit of Americans to be exaggerated, over-the-top and "typically American":
l'americanata.
I haven't been, but I've heard that the Vortex in Atlanta has a burger called the Triple Coronary Bypass which definitely warrants the label l'americanata.
Again, I'm so sorry I got preoccupied with photos of pretty things rather than the food.
It was dark.

Antico

Antico was a perfectly crafted experience.  

Cam, Durham and I picked through the list of pizzas--as I coached their Italian pronunciation--and eventually selected a spicy Diavola, (devil) now typing the name of which is making my mouth water once more.

Perfectly gooey and charred, the pizza arrives on a simple pan and is placed before you at any of the butcher block family style tables you select in the crowded kitchen/dining area.  

As you have an emotional encounter with your pizza, you can watch the craftsman prepare the newest orders while Italian opera blasts in your ears and those around you shout over the noise.  

Their schedule for a typical Saturday: 

"11:30 AM until out of dough."

   The gentleman who engineered the vision for Antico harbored a passion for Pizza Napoletena and for the Verace Artiginale, or "True Artisan" method of making pizza.   

Meaning "ancient," Antico creates pizza based on an ancient process that has been passed down for generations.  

Please go to their site to check out more of the interesting story and craft of Antico, home of the best pizza in Atlanta.

No plates.  Just the pizza tin and a roll of brown paper towels.

In order to eat the pizza correctly, you have to fold the slice in half and tuck in the point.

Cam and I each had our first cannoli! 

(Although to say it correctly in Italian, you would say the singular "cannola")

I had Cannoli Tradizionale and he had one with coconut and chocolate, but I can't remember it's name.

Directly translated, I think it would be called cannoli noce di cocco e cioccolato. 

Fox Brothers BBQ

Apparently, Fox Brothers is supposed to be the best bbq in Atlanta.  

I believe it.  

Sorry I didn't photograph my food 

(pulled pork, mac&cheese and green beans).  

I was too caught up in the scenery.

Should I Work For Free?

This table affirms me so much as an artist--it makes me feel less bad when I ask to get paid.  

Snarf Snarf.

Girl's gotta eat.
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All Content Copyright Jessica Hische 2011

F is for my favorite!

Happy Birthday II

Ok...so I have a lot of favorites.  Artist Paola of Holli studied art in Buenos Aires, where she was raised and is now currently living in Villa Giardino, Cordoba.
I love the sweet delicate creatures and muted colors.  

S is for Squirrel

Q is for Quail

U is for Unicorn

Felted Acorns

Rainbow String Felted Acorns

As a devoted Alpha Gamm (woot woot Recruitment begins tonight, go squirrels!), I couldn't resist these colorful felted acorns.  

I'm not a big collector of ornamental squirrels, or AGD t-shirts, 

instead I like to have a few special pieces--my acorn necklace, for one.  

In the coming years I'd love to get crafty with badges, jewelry and subtle decor. 

These felted acorn garlands by Delica would be a nice addition to my room.  

White Felted Acorn Garland

Set of 10 Green Felted Acorns

Bunny Bounty

Flat Bonnie Bunny Plush

The bunny plushies are not a want.  

They are a very necessary need.

Twinklebird Bunny Ring

 Tortoise & the Hare

 Bunny Rabbit Box Bin Basket

 The Ultimate Cuteness

Live & Enliven

I found this photo posted on the Live and Enliven blog and wanted to share it with you.

Double-Edged Sword, Automatic Door

Bright, cloudy mornings are so quiet and beautiful.  I was walking through the stillness of Simmons and  was enchanted by the light sprinkling through the dim hallway, highlighting the decrepit handicap door sign.  

Fun fact about Brenau doors: No matter how you attempt to use them, you still feel stupid.  You either use the handicap button and feel lazy, or try to push open the heavy automatic door and end up looking weak.  

Double-edged sword, automatic door.

Pom Poms and Non-Toms

My alpha gamms are joining in the craze for pom poms.  

Check out Stephanie's non-toms, purchased at TJ Max for superduper cheap.

Lazy

What a luxurious, lazy weekend we had.  

After this past month of insanity, and yet more to come, it was so gratifying to have this small pocket of sweet closeness to lounge, talk and eat.   

One thing we know for sure, Cam and I were not made for regular television.  We always have and always will be binge season watchers, and this weekend we fell into 24.  I know we're a few years late, but I'm glad we were.  No way could we handle waiting week to week for the next episode.  We kept getting up and yelling "Oh, shoot!" and scrambling for the next play button on Netflix.  

How do regular people handle the pressure?

Café Intermezzo

 One of my favorite treats in Atlanta so far would be Café Intermezzo,  an all-nighter coffee shop filled to the gills with people, coffee and culture.  I love the crowded, buzzing, intimate and anonymous atmosphere-- all hallmarks of my favorite haunts.  I've only gone late in the evening, so I haven't sampled their breakfast items.  Instead I've enjoyed their decadent cakes and coffees.  Cam and I dangled from our high back chairs and munched as he asked me questions about all the art hanging on the walls.    

Intermezzo is defined as another word for interlude.

Here is a blurb about the idea behind Café Intermezzo.

"The European coffeehouse…so prevalent, so popular, so common in the nineteenth century Hapsburg Empire cities of Vienna, Prague and Budapest.  You have your table, you have your chair, you have your exact spot at your coffeehouse where you plan, where you ponder, where you promote the life you begin anew each day.  You read the paper, you learn what’s new, you admire a new visitor whom you muster the courage to invite to your table for a cappuccino. "